Small Gifts
by shadoedseptmbr
Summary: "...and a fireplace with a small cat to warm the hearth. Such things are real homes made of."


**Author's Notes:** Unrepentant fluff, prompted by bladeofmercy. ;D

**Small Gifts**

* * *

She waited until he'd laid his quill aside and then tip-toed in to set the small hat box on the desk, beside his ink-stained hand.

It took a minute, but finally his fog of intent study faded and Anders looked up at Kieran as a weary smile crossed his face. "I didn't hear you come in, love. Where've you been?"

She traced her hand down the side of his lean face and bent to kiss his forehead. "Down to the docks. Isabela had a lead on those slavers that Aveline's been after."

"I would have come. You should have woken me up!" He drew Kieran down into his lap., giving her a good once over to reassure himself of her well-being.

Her legs were too long to let her curl up in the chair with him, but she could perch reasonably comfortably and settled against him, grinning with a mischievous twist to her lips that intrigued him. She pushed the hatbox, which had rocked a little perilously to the edge of the desk, back a few inches with a small pulse of force.

"You were at the clinic until the wee smalls with that pregnant woman. And then you woke me quite pleasantly," she reminded him. "You needed the sleep and Isabela, Fenris and Varric are all capable of helping me."

"Hmm." Anders shook his head and then his eyebrows shot up as the box wriggled. "What in the Maker's name is that?"

"Oh…something I found after the fight was over."

"Is it possessed?" The box squeaked plaintively and Anders reached over to tug the blue ribbon holding it closed. The lid popped up and two jade green eyes peered out from the dark. "Love…is that..?" He reached a long, elegant finger tentatively towards the crack and a little grey paw jabbed out and batted it. "Hullo, there…who are you?"

Kieran curled an arm around his neck and smiled against his jaw. "He followed me home. Can I keep him then?"

"You and your habit of collecting strays. Come here, little fellow." Anders scooped the squeaking kitten up. It was barely old enough to be away from its mother, and scrawny under its puff of grey and white fur, not quite filling Anders' narrow hand. Gently, he stroked behind the kitten's ear and under its chin and the pale green widened before slitting contentedly and a fragile purr started.

"Putty in your hands, just like all the rest of us." She watched Anders, enjoying the way the soft look on his face smoothed the thin lines. "I think he must be off one of the ships."

Kieran's mabari was rarely farther than a few feet from her, so hesitantly Anders asked her, "Won't Dane be upset?"

"I don't think so. He's the one who sniffed this lad out after the scrum was over. Seemed perfectly happy when I said we'd bring him to you." She wasn't sure, though, so she asked, "Do you like him?"

"He's a handsome fellow. Are….are you sure?"

She tipped his chin up to search his eyes and frowned. "Why shouldn't you have a pet?"

He shrugged, "I just…it's a lot of work to keep up with. Restless nights until they're trained and all."

"I think we can manage." Kieran answered, in a brisk tone that sweetened when she laid her head against his and added, "This is your home, dearheart. If you want him, we'll keep him. Orana was complaining anyway, about mice in the pantry."

Anders' closed his hand around the tiny animal, protectively. "It'll be a while until he can earn his keep."

She clicked her tongue, chiding. "I'm not going to toss him in there with Korcari rats, you know. He's a baby. We'll spoil him, instead." She reached out to stroke the kitten's delicate ears and squeaked when Anders pushed aside the long, dark braid to lay a soft kiss against her neck.

"Thank you. Did I say that? I didn't. Thank you, love." He rearranged, settling the kitten into his robes between his spread knees and cupped his warm hands against her jaw, pulling her close to kiss her. Sweetly and then, when she smiled against his firm lips and let her mouth soften, he swept his tongue along the seam of her lips. She opened with just that slight hesitation she'd never lost and then sighed happily into his mouth, her hands straying into his hair, loosed around his face.

Moments passed in gentle but warming kisses until their new companion let out a squawk when Kieran shifted against him. "Oops. Sorry, lad."

"What are you going to call him?"

"I…don't know. Found him on the docks, he's a ship cat. Maybe…Captain something. I'll have to think on it." A rough little tongue scraped the edge of his finger and sharp teeth followed as the kitten started to try and suckle. "Best find him a snack other than my finger, though."

"C'mon. Orana just brought in the shopping. I'm sure we'll find something." She slid from his lap and pulled him to his feet, cat and all. It was too little to sit on his shoulder, so Anders settled him in the crook of his arm and wrapped his other arm around Kieran's slim waist, hugging her close as they walked.

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